Portable and collapsible assorting-case.



I Patented Oct. 23, I900. m. s. FIELD:

No. 660,54l.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAROELLUS S. FIELD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- TI-IIRDTO JAMES T. A. LEIVIS, OF SAME PLACE.

PORTABLE AND COLLAPSIBLE ASSORTING=CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 60.541. dated October23. 1900 Application filed August 23, 1900. Serial No. 27,844. Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAROELLUS S. FIELD, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Assorting- Cases, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to what I shall term a portable and collapsibleassorting-case, which is adapted to have placed therein letters, cards,or other similar articles that have been assorted; and it comprises anexpansible case having the bottom and one side in the nature of abellows, the top and the other side being open for the ready insertionof the articles into or their removal from the case, the said casehaving a series of partitions which are arranged parallel with the endpieces and which form a series of compart- ,ments into which theassorted articles are ity to hold the case in its upright position,

but which are preferably of some material, such as leatheroid, which isimpervious to moisture, the two adjacent sides of one piece beingconnected to the corresponding sides of the other end piece by aflexible member 17, which is preferably folded in the nature of abellows, said flexible connecting member forming an expansible bottomand back for the case, the top and the front of the case being left openin order to admit of the ready insertion of the articlesinto and theirremoval from the case, as shown in the drawings. Secured to the bottomand back at suitable intervals are partitions c, which are preferably ofsome comparatively stiif material which is also impervious to moisture,these partitions being preferably parallel with the end pieces, asillustrated, and forming a series of compartments, each of which has aclosed bottom and back side. As illustrated in the drawings, one endpiece c is rectangular, While the other end piece (1. and the partitionsare cut away at one corner, as shown at d. The end piece Ct has rigidlyattached to it one end of a tying-strap J", said strap being of such alength as to admit of its passing completely around the case when filledwith the assorted articles and collapsed as much as possible and beingprovided on its fast end with any suitable clamping means, such as thespring- 'clip 6, whereby the free end of the tyingstrap after it hasbeen passed around the case can be secured underneath the clip to holdthe case folded and to prevent the contents from falling out.

My'inveution, it will be seen, comprises an expansible case having thebottom and its back made of flexible material, its two ends being madeof some inflexible material, and having its top and front open, the saidcase being suitably divided into compartments by partitions.

My invention is capable of various uses; but it is of special value toletter-carriers in assorting and distributing the mail.

As is Well known, the letter-carriers assort their mail before startingout on their delivery trip, and in doing so the letters and othermail-matter are deposited in suitable compartments in a desk, whichcompartments are arranged according to the various places in theletter-carriers route. When the mail is thus assorted, it is withdrawnfrom the compartments and tied up into a bundle for delivery.

In the use of my invention above specified a case such as shown is usedby each lettercarrier during the assorting of the mail, and the lettersand other mail are when assorted placed in the various compartments ofthe case in an order corresponding to the various points of delivery onthe carriers route. In Fig. l of the drawings, 6 represents a letter inone of the compartments. When the mail has been thus assorted, thecarrier takes the case, with its contents, and folds the same totheletter from the case.

described, the end piece a will be preferably about the size of anordinary envelop, sothat when letters or postal cards are placed in thecompartments one end thereof will project outwardly beyond the cut-awayportion (Z of the partitions, whereby such projecting end may be readilygrasped in order to withdraw In order to provide a means for readilyascertaining at a glance the street address on the letter next to bedeli'vered, I may cut out that portion of the end piece at and eachpartition 0 which normally covers the address, so that the address ofthe letter which is nearest to the end piece a may be always plainlyvisible whether the letter is in the left-hand compartment in Fig. 1 orin any other. In Fig. 1 this cut-out portion is in the form of anaperture h, and the aperture in the end piece a and all the partitionswill be in alinement, with the result that the address of the envelopnearest the end piece a will be plainly visible through the aperture orseries of apertures. It will thus be unnecessary for the letter-carrierto partially withdraw the letter next to be delivered in order to seeits address.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated another way of shaping the end piece a andpartitions, they in this instance having the square cut d in the frontupper corner, such cut afiordi'ng a means for readily observing thestreet address of the letter next to be delivered without withdrawingthe same from the case, as Wellas providing means whereby the letter maybe readily grasped when it is to be delivered.

By the use of my invention desks of simpler nature may be used inassorting the mail, and during its delivery the mail is held tightly inthe various compartments, thereby being prevented from being soiled orlost.

It will be evident that my invention is not limited to the use abovespecified, but may be used in various other ways, and the structurethereof may also be modified in details within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters.

Patent, is

1. An assorting-case having abellows bottom and back, inflexible endpieces connected thereto, and partitions parallel with the end pieces,the top and front of the case being open.

2. An assorting-case, having a bellows bottom and back, end piecesconnected thereto, partitions parallel with said end pieces andconnected to the bottom and back, the top and front of the case beingopen, and a tyingstrap rigidly fastened to one end piece and adapted tobe folded around the case when collapsed and means for detachablyfastening the free end of the strap to said end piece.

3. An assorting-case, having abellows bottom and back, inflexible endpieces connected thereto,partitions parallel with the end pieces, andone end piece and the partitions being cut away at the upper frontcorner, the top and front of the case being open.

4. An assorting-case having a' bellows bottom and back, inflexible endpieces connected thereto, the top and front of the case being open,partitions parallel with the end pieces, one end piece and thepartitions being cut away on the front corner, a tying-strap rigidlyfastened at one end to one end piece and adapted to be folded around thecase when collapsed, and means for detachably securing the free end ofthe strap to the said end piece.

5. A portable assorting-case for letter-carriers having a bellows bottomand back, end pieces connected thereto and partitions parallel with theend pieces and connected to the bottom and back, one end piece and allthe partitions having a portion thereof removed whereby the address ofthe letter next to be delivered may be seen without withdrawing it fromthe case.

6. A portable asserting-case for letter-carriers, having a bellowsbottom and back, end pieces connected thereto, and partitions parallelwith the end pieces and connected to the bottom and back, one end pieceand the partitions being cut away at the upper front corner, and havinga portion thereof removed whereby the address of the letter next to bedelivered may be plainly visible, the top and front of the case beingopen.

7. A portable and collapsible assertingcase for letter-carriers, havinga bellows bottom and back, the top and front being open,

IIO

end pieces connected to said bottom and back,

and partitions parallel with the end pieces, one of said end pieces andall the partitions having an aperture therein through which the addressof the letter next to be delivered may be seen.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAROELLUS S. FIELD.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, LoUIs 0. SMITH.

